Betty trevor

Betty dartedbefore him and nimbly dropped on her knees, the twins stood on eitherside of the window-sill, while poor Pam grumbled and fretted in thebackground, dodging here and there to

almost no restrictions whatsoever You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org

Mrs G de Horne Vaizey

They jostled each other with the scant courtesy which brothers andsisters are apt to show each other in early days; five big boys and girls,ranging between the ages of eight and nineteen Miles kept his centralposition by reason of superior strength, a vigorous dig of his pointedelbow being enough to keep trespassers at a distance Betty dartedbefore him and nimbly dropped on her knees, the twins stood on eitherside of the window-sill, while poor Pam grumbled and fretted in thebackground, dodging here and there to try all positions in turn, andfinding each as unsatisfactory as the last.

The Square gardens looked grey and sodden with the desolation ofautumn in a city, and the road facing the window was empty, except fortwo female figures—a lady, and a girl of sixteen, who were slowlyapproaching the corner The lady was dressed in black, the girl wasnoticeably smart, in a pretty blue costume, with dainty boots on her tinyfeet, and a fur cap worn at the fashionable angle on her golden head

“That’s a new dress,—the fifth I’ve seen her in this month!” sighed Bettyenviously “Wearing it on an afternoon like this, too The idea! Serve herright if it were soaked through!”

“Look at her mincing over the puddles! She’d rather go a mile out of herway than get a splash on those precious boots I’m sure by the look ofthem that they pinch her toes! I am glad you girls don’t make ninnies ofyourselves by wearing such stupid things.”

“Can’t! Feet too big!” mumbled Jill, each cheek bulging in turn with thelump of toffee which she was mechanically moving from side to side, so

as to lengthen the enjoyment as much as possible

“Can’t! Too poor! Only four shillings to last out till the end of the quarter!”sighed Betty, dolorous again

“Boots! Boots! What boots? Let me see her boots It’s mean! You won’tlet me see a thing!” cried Pam, pushing her shaggy head round Miles’elbow, and craning forward on the tip of her toes “I say! She’s granderthan ever to-day, isn’t she?”

“Look at the umbrella! About as thick as a lead pencil!” scoffed Jill,flattening her nose against the pane “Aunt Amy had one like that whenshe came to stay, and I opened it, because mother says it spoils them to

be left squeezed up, and she was as mad as a hatter She twisted at it agood ten minutes before she would take it out again She’d never get

mine straight! I’ve carried things in it till the wires bulge out like hoops An

umbrella is made for use; it’s bosh pretending it’s an ornament Theyare going a toddle round the Square between the showers for the benefit

of the Pet’s complexion I’m glad I haven’t got one to bother about!”

“True for you!” agreed Miles, with brotherly candour “You are as brown

as a nigger, and the Pet is like a big wax-doll—yellow hair, blue eyes,pink cheeks, all complete Not a bad-looking doll, either I passed quiteclose to her one day, and she looked rattling She’ll be a jolly pretty girlone of these days.”

“Oh, if you admire that type Personally, I don’t care for niminy-piminies.You never see her speaking, but I daresay if you poked her in the rightplaces she would bleat out ‘Mam-ma! Pa-pa!’ Now watch!” cried Bettydramatically “When she gets to the corner, she will peer up at thiswindow beneath her eyelashes, and mince worse than ever when shesees us watching Don’t shove so, Pam! You can see quite well where

The five heads pressed still more curiously against the pane, and fivepairs of eyes were fixed unblinkingly upon the young girl who was daintilypicking her way round the corner of the Square The fur cap left her facefully exposed to view, and, true to Betty’s prophecy, as she reached acertain point in the road she turned her head over her shoulder and shot

a quick glance at the window overhead Quicker than lightning the prettyhead went round again, and the pink cheeks grew crimson at the sight ofthose five eager faces watching her every movement

Jack and Jill burst into loud laughter, Betty’s upper lip curled derisively,but Miles’ thin face showed an answering flush of colour, and he backedinto the room, exclaiming angrily—

“I say, this is too much of a good thing! I don’t know what you all mean byswarming round me wherever I go! Why can’t you leave a fellow alone?Can’t I even look out of the window without having you all on my back? Anice effect it must have to see the whole place blocked up, as if we werestaring at a Lord Mayor’s show!”

Betty sat down by the table and took up the blouse on which she hadbeen working for the last three months The sleeves had been taken outand replaced twice over, and the collar-band obstinately refused to comeright By the time it was finished it would be hopelessly out of date, whichBetty considered as one of the many contrary circumstances of life whichcontinually thwarted her good endeavours

“Don’t worry yourself She will enjoy being stared at!” she said coldly

“She knows we watch her coming in and out, and shows off all her littletricks for our benefit She’s the most conceited, stuck-up, affected littlewretch I ever saw, without a thought in her head but her clothes, and herown importance I wouldn’t have anything to do with her for the world!”

“Jolly good thing then that you are never likely to get a chance! Herpeople will never trouble to call upon us; they are much too high andmighty That’s no reason, though, why you should be so down on thepoor little soul I should have thought that you would have felt sorry forher, cooped up with that old governess all her time, with not a soul to

Miles strode out of the room in a fume, and Betty’s lips compressedthemselves into a thin straight line, the meaning of which the others knewfull well To incur Miles’ displeasure was Betty’s bitterest punishment, andthe “Pampered Pet” was not likely to fare any better at her hands inconsequence of his denouncement Jill beckoned furtively to Jack Therewas no chance of any more fun in the schoolroom now that Miles haddeparted, and Betty was in the sulks; it would be wise to go and disportthemselves elsewhere They left the room arm-in-arm, heads almosttouching, as they whispered and giggled together, the most devoted pair

of twins that ever existed, and eight-year-old Pam leant her elbows onthe table and stared fixedly at her big sister

Betty was seventeen, nearly grown-up, inasmuch as she had left school,and now took classes to complete her education Her blue serge dresscame down to her ankles, and she made a gallant attempt to “do up” herhair in the style of the period Mrs Trevor considered the style tooelaborate for such a young girl, but after all it did not much matter whatwas aimed at, since every morning someone exclaimed innocently,

“You’ve done your hair a new way, Betty!” and was fully justified in theremark One day Betty’s ambition ran to curls and waves, and sheappeared at the breakfast-table with a fuzz worthy of a negress The nextday better judgment prevailed, when she brushed hard for ten minutes,and then pinned on a hair-net, with the result that she looked a veritablelittle Puritan; and between these extremes ranged a variety of effects,only possible of achievement to an amateur with no experience, butboundless ambition

If you could have honestly pronounced Betty pretty, you would havesatisfied the deepest longing of her heart She gazed in the glass everymorning, twisting her head from side to side, and deciding irrevocablythat she was hideous, a fright, a perfect freak, while all the time anobstinate little hope lingered that perhaps after all, in becoming clothes,and when she was in a good temper, she might look rather nice!Chestnut hair, such a pretty colour, but so little of it that it would not “go”like other girls’; dark grey eyes with curly black lashes; an impertinentlittle nose, and a mouth just about twice as big as those possessed by

the ladies in mother’s Book of Beauty downstairs At the best she could

only be “pretty” or a “sweet-looking girl,” and she pined to be beautifuland stately, and to reign as a queen over the hearts of men.

Poor Betty! Many a girl of seventeen lives through the same tragedy insecret, but they are not all fortunate enough to possess an adoringyounger sister who thinks her all that she fain would be

Pam put out a little ink-stained hand, and stroked the half-finished blouseadmiringly

“It’s going to be lubly, Bet! It hardly shows a bit where you joined it You’llsoon have finished it now.”

“No, I shan’t,” snapped Betty “There’s heaps to do still, and it’s gettingtoo cold for cottons Just my luck! I always seem to be making mistakes

It wasn’t my fault that that stupid girl looked up and caught us watching.”

The underlying thought showed itself in the sudden change of subject,but Pam was not surprised, for in her quiet, shrewd little way she haddivined it long ago

“But you said she’d look up, so you could have moved if you liked I don’tthink it was very perlite,” she said solemnly “There were all four of you atthe window, and my eyes peeping round Miles’ back I expect it lookedpretty fearful She went purple, didn’t she? It’s horrid to blush! I did oncewhen I got a prize before people, and I hated it.”

“Oh, you! You are a modest little mouse The Pet is quite different Nastything, she might have been satisfied without making mischief between

Miles and me! She has everything that she wants, and that I want, and

haven’t got She’s pretty, and rich, and has a lovely big house and heaps

of people to wait upon her, and nice things, and—everything! You can’tthink how I hate her!”

Pam leant her thin arms on the table, and meditated for a long, thoughtfulmoment When she spoke, it was, as usual, to deliver herself of theunexpected

“That’s what you call ‘envy, hatred, and malice,’ I s’pose,” she saidthoughtfully, and Betty’s head came up with a jerk to turn upon her a

No! The round, grey eyes were as clear, as innocent, as guilelesslyadoring as she had ever seen them They gazed into her own without ashadow of self-consciousness, and as she met that gaze Betty flushed,and the irritable lines disappeared from her face as if wiped out by asponge

“One for you, Pam,” she cried, laughing “I am a pig! A nice big elder

sister I am, to set you such an example! I’m cross, dear Everything hasgone wrong the whole day long You had better run off and leave mealone, or I’ll snap again I feel all churned up inside! This is only atemporary lapse.”

“There’s scones for tea; I saw the bag in the pantry S’pose I wentdownstairs and coaxed cook to toast them? You said yourself toastedscones were soothing If Miles smells them he’s sure to come,” said Pamshrewdly, and Betty leant forward and kissed her impetuously on thecheek

“There’s one comfort,” she cried; “I’ve got you, and the Pet hasn’t! Youare the comfort of my old age, Pamela, my child Yes, toasted! And lots ofbutter, and leave the door wide open, so that the smell may get out, andlure Miles back.”

Chapter Two.

The People of the Square.

Brompton Square is situated on the north side of Hyde Park, between theMarble Arch and Lancaster Gate, and is as stiff and, for the greaterportion of the year, as gloomy in appearance as most of the regions inthe neighbourhood The different sides of the Square differ widely insocial status, the northern side being the most, and the eastern side theleast, aristocratic and roomy The largest house of all was a great greystone edifice, having a stretch of three windows on either side of theheavy oak door The smallest and shabbiest stood at right angles to it,showing a shabby frontage of two windows to the gardens, and having its

front entrance in a side street Really and truly it could barely claim tobelong to the Square at all, though the landlord claimed, and the doctortenant felt it worth while to pay, a heavy rent for the privilege of printing afashionable address upon his cards.

Behind the silken curtains and brise-bise of Number 14, the “Pampered

Pet” had her residence At Number 1 the doctor’s big family was socrowded together that Betty was thankful to appropriate a front attic asthe only chance of possessing that luxury dear to every girlish heart—“abedroom to herself!” It was not a luxurious apartment, but it was pretty, asevery girl’s bedroom may easily be, if she has the will to make it so Thehemp carpet had long since faded to a nondescript grey, but the pink-washed walls were hung with pictures and photographs, and the owner’slove of beauty and order showed itself in the arrangement of the furniture,and the careful setting out of a few treasured ornaments

There was no gas in the room, so that Betty was obliged to do her simpledressing for dinner by the aid of a candle, whose flickering beamsseemed intent on lighting every corner of the room, and leaving the mirror

in inky darkness It was only within the last three months that Dr Trevorhad left his old-fashioned house in Bloomsbury, hoping that the change ofresidence would help him in his ambition to extend his practice among abetter class of patients The neighbourhood was new to his family, andnone of the residents of the Square had so far taken any notice of theirpresence Calling is not usual in London unless there is some personalinterest involved, and no doubt the occupants of more aristocratic houseslooked down with contempt on the sandwiched row of shabby windowswhich belonged to them only on sufferance If the neighbours showed nointerest in the doctor’s family, the Trevors, on the contrary, felt adevouring interest in everyone around them They had inventednicknames for all the residents in the northern row, of which theschoolroom possessed the best view, before they had been a week intheir new quarters A glance at the Directory in their father’s consulting-room would have solved the problem at once, but that was a practicaland commonplace method of procedure which made no appeal to theirimaginations Nicknames were a thousand times better, because youcould manufacture them to suit!

The two old maiden ladies who lived in Number 15 were Emily and

Hannah Emily was dressy, wore a false front, and always tookprecedence of her sister, who was small and mousy in demeanour It wasapparent to the meanest intellect that a godmother had bequeathed herfortune to Emily, and that she gave her sister a home and generallysupported her, for which generosity Hannah was duly thankful The twoold ladies breakfasted in bed every morning, went out for drives at elevenand three o’clock, (“ambles,” Miles called them in scornful reference tothe pace of the sleek old horses), retired to their rooms for naps afterlunch, ate a hearty dinner at eight, and settled down for the night at teno’clock.

It does not require the skill of a Sherlock Holmes to discover suchproceedings on the part of our neighbours The study of electric lights ongloomy autumn days is wonderfully informing! Number 16 wasuninteresting,—only a stupid man and his wife, who looked like ahundred other men and their wives; and who had tiresome silk curtainsdrawn across the lower panes of their windows, so that it was impossible

to obtain a glimpse of the rooms Number 17, however, more than evermade up for this disappointment, for there lived “The Pretty Lady”beloved by one and all She was tall, and dark, and young; almost like agirl, and Betty darkly suspected her of being engaged, for she looked sobeamingly happy, and was often seen walking about with a tall,handsome man in the shiniest of top-hats The door of Number 17 wassomewhat out of the line of vision, so that it was not always easy to seewho went in and out, but the young couple often passed the corner of theSquare, and always seemed to be in radiant spirits Once when the prettylady was wearing a new coat, Edwin (of course he was Edwin!) fellbehind a pace or two to study the effect, and softly clapped his hands inapproval It must be nice, Betty thought wistfully, to be engaged, andhave someone who liked you the best of all, and brought you homechocolates and flowers! She was anxious to know who formed the othermembers of the household, but Jill said there was only an invalid mother,who said, “Go about as much as ever you can, my darling Don’t thinkabout me! The young should always be happy;” and this was accepted byall as a natural and satisfactory explanation

There were no children to be found in the whole length of the terrace.The landlords, no doubt, had too much regard for their white enamel andcostly wall-papers to welcome tenants with large families The

“Pampered Pet” in Number 14 was the nearest approach to a child, andshe must have been sixteen at least Her father was a GeneralSomebody out in India, and her mother remained in England tosuperintend the Darling’s education, and see that she did not get her feetwet As soon as she was eighteen she would be presented at Court,taken out to India, and married to the Viceroy at the end of her firstseason.

The Pet’s bedroom was on the third storey of the house, and as itswindows faced the gardens of the Square, she had a fancy for leaving

them undraped, except for the narrow brise-bise over the lower panes It

probably never occurred to her to remember one little dormer windowperched high in the corner house, which of late days had constitutedBetty Trevor’s domain, and she would have been greatly surprised toknow how good a view of her sanctum could be obtained from thisvantage-ground, or how much time its mistress gave to enjoying thesame

All alone in the dark Betty would kneel on a chair and press her faceagainst the cold panes, staring, staring, muttering to herself—

“She has a fire to dress by—I can see the flames flickering up and down.What stupid indulgence for a child like that! Electric lights in pink shades

It does look cosy! The maid is brushing her hair I can see her arm going

up and down like a machine Goodness! How long is she going to keepon? No wonder it shines! I’ll brush mine, too Ten minutes regularly everynight and morning; but I’m always late in the morning, and too tired atnight, so I know I won’t I do hope they come over here to fasten herdress It was white last night; on Tuesday it was blue What a fuss tomake, when there is only Mrs General and the governess! The Pet playsand sings to them in the drawing-room after dinner That hot night whenthe windows were open we could hear her distinctly, and it was such afunny little squeak Jill can imitate it beautifully If I couldn’t sing better

everything she wanted, and another want so much The furnishing of thisattic bedroom, for instance—everything was a makeshift for somethingelse which was what she really wanted, and had been unable to get, and

it was the same all through the house When mother had pleaded for anew paper for the drawing-room, father had said—

“Not just yet, I’m afraid, dear There are so many necessities which must

be met.” That was the worst of it; there never was money enough for thenice ornamental things which were so much more interesting than stodgyold usefuls!

Betty sighed again, and shrugged her shoulders impatiently ThePampered Pet had finished her toilet by this time; she crossed the roomand stood by the window for a moment, a slim pink figure in the soft pinklight

“Horrid, horrid thing!” cried Betty fretfully “How I do—” And then at thevery moment of repeating her protestations of dislike, Pam’s seriouschildish face rose before her sight, and she heard the sweet shrill voicesaying once again—

“I suppose that’s what they call ‘envy, hatred, and malice ’”

“She’s right, quite right,” Betty acknowledged to herself “It is, or just as

near it as is possible for a girl to get who is surrounded by goodinfluences How hateful it sounds! I did feel ashamed of myself I’m theeldest girl, and I ought to set a good example If I were quiet and gentleand resigned, they would all look up to me, and Miles wouldn’t snub meany more I’ll turn over a new leaf from this very hour, and remember myblessings, and never grumble any more, or be cross, or snappy, and beglad, absolutely glad, when other people are better off than myself Afterall, I’m seventeen It’s time I was growing resigned I won’t envy anybodyany more.”

Betty jumped up from her seat, lighted her candles, and began to makeher modest toilet for dinner with an air of satisfied finality It wascharacteristic of her that she was never satisfied with half-measures, andwas always supremely confident of her ability to carry out newresolutions The determination to become a perfect character was taken

as easily as if it had been a choice between a couple of ribbons, and sheput on her quietest blouse, and parted her hair in the middle, brushing itsmoothly over her ears, with an artistic satisfaction in dressing for a part.The resolution held good exactly a quarter of an hour, at the expiration ofwhich time Jack and Jill dashed suddenly out of the schoolroom as theirelder sister was pursuing a staid course downstairs, when Jill promptlyseized hold of her silk sleeves with sticky fingers, and Jack exclaimed, “Isay! What a fright!” with brotherly candour.

Betty snapped, of course, and snapped vigorously It was not her fault,she reflected No one could be expected to be patient if other peoplewould insist on being so horrid and exasperating!

Chapter Three.

The Trevor Family.

The family dinner was served at seven o’clock, and all the children, down

to Pam herself, appeared at table, for Dr Trevor liked to have his familyround him at the close of the day, and, thanks to his wife’s goodmanagement, the meal was always a bright and cheery occasion

Mrs Trevor was a devoted mother to every one of her flock, but theperson in the house whom she mothered most of all was her hard-working husband, whose life was so devoted to others that he had littletime to consider himself From the children’s earliest years they had beentaught that to “worry father” was one of the most serious offences whichthey could commit

“Father spends his life going about from one sickroom to another; all daylong he is meeting people who are ill, and anxious, in fear, and in pain,and when he comes home he must have a cheery welcome If you want

to grumble about anything, grumble to yourselves or to me; if you haveanything disagreeable to tell, let it wait until we are alone Meal-times withfather must be devoted to pleasant subjects alone.” Such were MrsTrevor’s instructions, instilled into her children’s minds with suchpersistent firmness that they were never disobeyed, with the result that

the tired doctor came home with the happy certainty of enjoying a cheery,harmonious hour, and the young people themselves learnt a lesson inself-restraint which was of infinite value in after life.

Betty might grumble and tirade outside the schoolroom door, but as sheapproached the dining-room she mechanically smoothed her brow andadopted a cheerful expression To-night Dr Trevor was already seated inhis place at the end of the long table, for his wife took the head, to savehim the fatigue of carving for so large a party He was a tall, thin man,with a lined face lit by the keen, thoughtful eyes of the true physician Helooked up as his eldest daughter entered the room, and held out his hand

to her in a mute caress She bent to kiss his forehead, and stood holdinghis hand to chat for a few minutes until the other members of the familymade their appearance He noticed the Puritan-like coiffure—there werefew things that those shrewd eyes did not notice—but made no commentthereon, for, as he frequently observed to his wife when she confided tohim her troubles over Betty’s eccentricities, boys and girls who are in thetransition stage between childhood and maturity are apt to become a triflerestless and eccentric, and it was wisdom to be for the most partjudiciously blind, interfering only in cases of right and wrong Let the littlemaid run with a loose rein for a time She would soon settle down, and bethe first to laugh at her own foibles

Mrs Trevor took her place, looking round on her assembled children withthe pretty, half-appealing little smile which was her greatest charm Shewas slight and graceful, not stout and elderly, like other people’s mothers

In the morning light she often looked wan and tired, but in the kindlylamplight she seemed more like Betty’s sister than the mother of a rapidlygrowing up family

Miles sat at her right hand, a tall, somewhat heavy-looking youth, withenormous hands and feet, a square, determined jaw, and deep-set browneyes Even a casual glance at him was sufficient to show that he wasgoing to make a man of power and determination, but, like Betty, he waspassing through his awkward stage, and was often neither easy noragreeable to live with

Jack was just a mischievous schoolboy, with protruding ears andtwinkling eyes One can see a score like him any day, marching,

marching along the street with satchels of books; but his twin sister had amore striking personality Jill was a mystery to her relations and friends.She had ordinary brown hair, and not too much of that, light blue eyeswith indifferent lashes, a nose a shade more impertinent than Betty’sown, a big mouth, and a powdering of freckles under her eyes; yet withthose very ordinary equipments she managed to rank as a beauty amongher schoolmates, and to attract more admiration than is vouchsafed tomany people whose features might have been turned out of a classicmould Betty used to ponder wistfully over the secret of Jill’s charm, andthink it hard lines that it had not been given to herself, who would havecared for it so much more Jill didn’t care a pin how she looked Shewanted to “have fun,” to invite Nora Bruce to tea as often as possible, tobuy a constant supply of a special sort of almond toffee which wasoffered for sale at a shop which she passed on the way to school, to be afirst-form girl and have one of the new desks, and, incidentally, to passthe Cambridge examination if it could be done without too much “fag.”She put on her clothes any way, did her hair in the twinkling of an eye,and the effect was uniformly charming.

“If she’s untidy, she’s picturesque; if I’m untidy, I’m a fright It’s mean!”soliloquised Betty discontentedly Every day she lived she was the moreconvinced that the world was topsy-turvy, and that she herself was theonly person who was competent to set it to rights

Pam was just Pam; like herself, and no one else in the world A dear little,wide-eyed, pointed-chinned kitten, everybody’s tease, and pet, andconscience all in one, for those clear child eyes seemed to see throughall pretences, and what she thought she put into words without a shadow

of fear or hesitation

It was a very plain, almost a frugal, repast, but the table looked cheerfuland pretty with the pink-shaded lamp in the centre, surrounded by thefour little bowls of flowers which it was one of Betty’s duties to keep fresh,and there was no lack of lively conversation

Mrs Trevor had had a trying day, and several of her worries must ofnecessity be discussed with her husband later on, but she would allow nohint of them to escape until he had been fed and rested, and in the samemanner all the children searched their memories for the pleasantest

“I was top to-day, father,” Jack announced proudly; “answered everysingle question in Latin, and read off my translation like a book If I liked

to stew, I believe I could lick Johnston all the time He was pretty sick athaving to go down; looked as glum as an old owl for the rest of themorning.”

“He takes his work more seriously than you do, my boy You say youcould be top if you liked: I am glad to hear it; but why don’t you like? Youcan’t surely prefer a lower place?”

“Oh, well, there’s reason in all things!” returned Jack, with a vaguenesswhich his brothers and sisters had apparently little difficulty inunderstanding, for they laughed, and sniggered meaningly to each other

“Such a waste of time, when there is football to be played!”

“A full back has to keep his energy for his work, and not fritter it awayover stupid books That’s about it, isn’t it, Jack?” they teased, while DrTrevor said between a sigh and a smile—

“Ah, well, my boy, you are old enough to judge for yourself how your timeshould be spent! If you win a scholarship, I’ll manage to help you through

a ’Varsity course, but I can’t afford to keep you there unassisted.Remember it is your whole career which is at stake.”

The doctor’s glance had wandered, as if for consolation, to his elder son

—Miles the strenuous, the indefatigable, who had a passion for work forwork’s sake He was going through the practical stage of an engineer’s

training, and left the house at six o’clock each morning, to return in theafternoon clad in workman’s clothes, incredibly greasy and dirty Bettysuffered agonies in case “they”—that wonderful impersonal “they” whooverclouded her life—should think he was really and truly an ordinaryworkman! On one occasion Miles had joined her on the doorstep as shewas returning from an afternoon walk, and she had distinctly seen thecurtains of the Pampered Pet’s drawing-room move, as if someone werepeeping out from behind, when, as she confided to Jill later on, “hercheeks turned k–r–rimson with mortification!”

“Well, Miles, my boy, did you take your little invention with you to-day, andwere you able to show it to the manager?”

“Oh, he said it was all right.”

Miles made a determined attack on his plate, as if pleading to be leftalone to enjoy his dinner in peace Since the days of his babyhood hehad shown a strong inventive genius, and now it was his delight to spendhis spare moments working in his little cupboard sanctum at home,striving to improve on any bit of machinery which struck him as fallingshort of perfection It was a very simple thing which he had attempted,but in machinery, as in many other things, trifles are all-important, and itwas a triumph indeed that a lad of nineteen should have hit on animprovement which was considered worth a trial

Dr Trevor and his wife exchanged smiles of happy satisfaction They

yearned to ask a dozen more questions, but refrained out of sympathywith that natural masculine reserve which they understood so well Betty,however, was less considerate.

“I do think you might tell us a little more about it, Miles!” she criedresentfully “You know we are all dying of curiosity I can’t think why it isthat boys can never give a decent account of anything that hashappened! Now, if it had been me, I should have begun at the verybeginning, from the moment I entered the works, and told you how I felt

question It is dull!”

“You must allow for diversities of talent, Betty,” said Mrs Trevor, laughing

“We do not all possess your powers of description Miles is very modestover his success, and I, like you, want to hear more details You must besure to tell us how the trial works, Son; and if your improvement ispermanently adopted, I shall be proud!”

“Nothing to be proud of!” muttered Miles into his plate

If there was one thing he loathed more than another, it was to be praisedand petted, and made the centre of attention His roughened fingersclenched themselves tightly round the knife and fork, and he cut his beefinto pieces with savage energy

Why couldn’t they leave a fellow alone? All this fuss about a bit of a cog!

Betty divined his discomfiture, as she divined all that concerned herbeloved brother, but she had not the tact to come to the rescue, and itwas Jill who turned the conversation by a casual question which yet was

“Father, is there a father at the big house at the corner? We can’t decidewhat’s the matter with him There must have been one, of course,because of the Pet Jack says he’s dead, but she is not in mourning, andthe mother doesn’t wear widow’s things I say he’s gone a tour round theworld, and is buying presents at every port so as to pamper her morethan ever when he comes back.”

Dr Trevor looked a trifle mystified, but he was accustomed to hischildren’s mental flights, and, after a moment’s consideration, he repliedsmilingly—

“If you mean Number 14, the tenant is a certain Major Alliot, who is atpresent, I believe, with his regiment in India I don’t know anything abouthis household, or the identity of the ‘Pet,’ as you are pleased to call her.”

“I wish she’d fall downstairs, or have an accident of some sort suddenly,

so that they’d have to fly across for you in a hurry,” sighed Jill with frankbrutality “I wish all the people in that row would have accidents, so thatyou could tell us all about them We are dying with curiosity!”

“Wouldn’t influenza do as well? There is no need to be quite so brutal,Jill,” her father reminded her “Besides, it is hardly my usual custom to tellyou ‘all about’ my cases, is it? I should be very glad to find new patientsnearer here for my own sake; which reminds me, dear, that I have to go along drive after dinner, and shan’t be home for the evening, as I hoped It

“Well, I shall have an escape too! I don’t like ill people or having anything

to do with them; it’s not my vocation!” she announced grandiloquently,and her face fell with dismay when her father said cheerily—

“Oh, come, you don’t do yourself justice, dear I always find you a veryacceptable little nurse Mrs Ewen was asking for you only to-day I should

be glad if you would make a point of going to see her some afternoon thisweek, and trying to amuse her for an hour or two She has had a verysharp attack, poor soul.”

“Yes, father,” assented Betty meekly, but mentally she ground her teeth

Mrs Ewen was an old patient, a tiresome patient from Betty’s point ofview, who never grew better, but was frequently worse, who spent all herlife in her bedroom and an upstairs sitting-room, her chief subject ofconversation being the misdemeanours of her hardly-worked nurses Shehad taken a fancy to the doctor’s young daughter, and liked to be visited

by her as often as possible in convalescent periods; but Betty did notreturn the liking

“She doesn’t understand girls,” she grumbled to herself “I don’t believeshe ever was a girl herself She must have been born about forty, withspectacles and a cap I can’t think why she wants to see me I do nothingbut say ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ while she abuses other people, and yawn my headoff in that stifling room And I did so want to get on with my blouse.Seems as if I could never do as I like, somehow!”

She sat looking such an image of meekness and resignation, with hersmoothly-braided locks and downcast lids, that her father’s lips twitchedwith amusement as he glanced at her, and quickly averted his eyes Heknew just as well as she did how distasteful his request had been, but hewas none the less anxious to enforce it Betty’s horizon was blocked withself at the present moment, and anything and everything was of gainwhich forced her to think of something besides that all-importantpersonage Miss Elizabeth Trevor

Chapter Four.

A Piece of Looking-Glass.

Jill’s book fell down with a crash, and she leapt to her feet, abeam withanticipation It was Saturday, and she had announced her intention of

“stewing hard” all the afternoon, but the claims of examinations sank intothe background before the thrilling prospect held out by her twin

“Break it in two! Fair does, Jack! Give me a bit, and let us flash in turns!”she cried eagerly; but Jack would not consent to anything so rash

“How can I divide it, silly?” he replied “I haven’t a diamond to cut it, and if

I crunch it with my foot it may all go to smithereens, and there will benothing left I’ll lend it to you for a bit now and then, but you won’t aimstraight Girls never do!”

“I do! I do!” Jill maintained loudly “I will! I will! Come along, be quick! Shemight move away, and it would be such a sell I’ll kneel down here andkeep the curtains round me I wonder what she’s reading Somethingawfully dry and proper, I expect! What heaps of hair! It hangs over herface, so that we shan’t be able to dazzle her a bit.”

“Yes, we will,” contradicted Jack “She’ll see the light dancing about onthe page, and look up to see what’s the matter! You watch, but mind youdon’t bob up your head and let her see you!”

“Mind you don’t let her see your hand! It’s sticking right out You ought toput on a dark glove, which she wouldn’t notice against the pane.”

Jack was pleased to approve of the glove proposition, and anadjournment was made to the doctor’s dressing-room, where a pair of

‘funeral gloves’ were discovered which seemed exactly what wasdesired Jack drew one on his right hand, Jill drew the other on her left,and thus equipped they crept back to their hiding-place behind theshabby red curtains, and proceeded to work

It was rather difficult to move the glass so as to throw the reflection onone exact spot, as the conspirators could only peep out for a moment at

a time The little white circle of light danced all over the big grey housebefore it found the window above the porch, and, moving slowly up anddown, eventually alighted on the page of the open book Jill giggled, Jacksnored loudly, as was his habit when excited; the Pet gave a little hitchround in her chair, and read on stolidly.

“My turn! My turn!” cried Jill excitedly “You’ve had your innings, now give

me mine Hand it over!” and the two black gloved hands met in themiddle of the window

“You moved it away too quickly! You must follow her about, and bob it g–ently up and down Wait till I get it right There it is! I’ve got it better thanyou, Jack, ever so much better!”

“That’s because the sun’s so much brighter Be careful now That’senough! If you go on too long at a time, she’ll move away into the roomand it will be all up Let her settle down again, and imagine she’s all right,then we’ll give her another treat!”

It was wonderful how expert one grew with practice! The light nowdanced direct to its destination, and move her book as she would, the Petcould not escape At last she grew impatient, tossed back her mane ofhair and turned to stare curiously out of the window This was the longed-for opportunity, and Jack snored louder than ever with relief that it hadcome about when it was his turn to hold the treasured glass Quick asthought he waved it to and fro, and the Pet threw up her hands, unable towithstand the glare Safe in the seclusion of their distant room, the twinsshrieked with exultation, and had much ado to keep their position behindthe curtains Jill kept endeavouring to snatch the glass from her brother,but Jack was too intent on his work to take any notice of her efforts

The Pet lifted one hand from her eyes and cautiously peeped out Thesun was shining with unusual brilliancy for an October morning, but therewas not the slightest difficulty in viewing the landscape as fully as sheliked She turned her head from side to side in a curious inquiringfashion, and Jack, with an artist’s appreciation of the right moment,waited until she had abandoned the search, and was about to settledown again, when another blinding flash of light fell full on her face, andshe shrank back into the shade with a startled gesture

Seated in this last position, she exactly faced the schoolroom, and thetwins had a moment’s horrified fear that she had caught a glimpse of theirpeeping faces, but her next movement put an end to suspicion, for shetook up her book and settled down again to her reading exactly as if shehad never been interrupted.

And then an extraordinary thing happened! The mane of golden hair wastossed back, leaving the face fully exposed, yet though the twins flashedthe light on both eyes and book, the Pet read on stolidly, turning over thepages with leisurely enjoyment, apparently no whit disturbed

“What’s the matter with her all of a sudden? Is she blind?” Jill queriedimpatiently

Jack grunted, and flashed more vigorously than ever, but the Pet mighthave been a hundred miles away for all the effect produced It was mostmysterious and perplexing, not to say exasperating to the last degree.After ten minutes’ fruitless effort, Jack went off in search of fresh victims,and Jill sorrowfully returned to her lessons

How interested they would have been if they could have overheard aconversation which was even then taking place across the road!

“Dear child!” cried a lady lying on a sofa at the far end of a furnished drawing-room “Dear child, what are you doing? For the lastfive minutes I have been watching you pretending to read with your eyesshut It’s not a lesson book, and Miss Mason is not here, so what can you

beautifully-be thinking about, dear wee goose?”

The fair head turned round, and the book dropped to the floor

“I’m thinking,” said a very sweet, sad little voice, “I’m thinking that I wish Iwere a large family, mother I’m so tired of being only one!”

“Oh, Cynthia!” cried the lady—and there was a world of mother-yearning

in her voice—“is it that old trouble again? Poor child, it is dull for you, but

I do all I can for you, darling I stayed at home especially to be near you,and I do my best to be a companion, and to sympathise in all yourinterests Don’t tell me that I have failed altogether!”

Cynthia crossed the room, knelt down on the floor by her mother’s couchand laid both hands on her knee The two faces that confronted eachother were as much alike as was possible, given a difference in age oftwenty-five years Cynthia was a beautiful girl, and her mother was abeautiful woman, and the beauty lay as much in expression as in feature.Miles Trevor had been entirely mistaken when he compared the girl to adoll, for the direct glance of the eye, the sweet, firm lips and well-formedchin, belonged to no puppet, but showed unusual strength of character.

“You are a darling, and I adore you!” cried Cynthia fondly “But you areold, you know, and I am so dreadfully young There’s something allfizzling inside me for want of a vent I’m just desperate sometimes to dosomething wild, and exciting, and hilarious; it doesn’t matter how silly it is;the sillier the better! I’m so dreadfully well-regulated, mother, consideringI’m only sixteen Lessons—‘studies,’ as Miss Mason calls them—musicalexercises, constitutional, luncheon, more studies, dinner, politeconversation, performances upon the piano, that’s my daily round, and I

get so tired! Don’t think I don’t appreciate you, mother You know I do We

are the best friends in the world, but still—”

“I know,” said Mrs Alliot, and sighed once more She stroked herdaughter’s golden head in thoughtful silence, then asked curiously, “Whatmade you feel your loneliness especially to-day, dear?”

A flicker of laughter passed over Cynthia’s pink-and-white face

“The boy and girl in Number 1, the corner house, were playing tricks on

me, trying to dazzle my eyes with something—a piece of old glass, I suppose I could not understand what caused the sudden glareuntil I caught a glimpse of their faces peering out from behind thecurtains.”

looking-“Trying to dazzle you! That doctor’s children? How exceedingly rude!They must be very badly brought up And you were sitting with your eyesshut pretending to go on reading You curious child! Why?”

“It was their joke; they enjoyed it It would have been mean to cut it short.Besides,” added Cynthia, with a twinkle, “it was my joke too! They musthave been so puzzled when I seemed to go on reading, for they couldn’t

see that my eyes were shut, and I went on turning over the pages atregular intervals, as if I were perfectly comfortable and happy Oh no, Idon’t think they are rude, mother; only frisky, and I love frisky people!There are such a lot of them, and they do have such a good time.Schoolroom tea all together, and the big girl pours out I could see themquite well when they first came, and the afternoons were light They go inpairs—a big boy and a big girl, a middling boy and a middling girl, andthen a dear little girl with a face like a kitten I like them all so much, but

—” and her voice died away in a plaintive cadence, “they don’t like me!”

“And how have you found that out, may I ask?”

“I—I feel they don’t,” sighed Cynthia sadly “They watch me out of thewindows, and talk and laugh, and make remarks among themselves Thewindow seemed full of faces the other day ”

Mrs Alliot’s delicate face flushed resentfully

“Abominably rude! Really, dear, I don’t think you need worry yourselfwhat such people think There can be no possible excuse for suchbehaviour!”

“Oh yes, dear, there is, for they don’t intend me to see! It was quiteextraordinary how they all vanished into space the very instant I raised

my eyes You might just as well say it is rude of me to stare into theirwindows, and I do, for I can’t help it It’s a sort of magnet to me everytime I pass I do so wish I knew them, mother dear!”

Mrs Alliot smiled and stroked her daughter’s head once more She wasthinking that for Cynthia’s sake she must really manage to cultivate somefriends with large families; but she had not the least intention ofintroducing her daughter to the strange doctor’s mischievous,unconventional children

In many cases, however, there is something stronger than the will ofparents and guardians Some people call it fate, some by a higher name

In later years Cynthia Alliot considered her friendship with the Trevorfamily as one of the greatest providences of her life

An Old Trick.

It was very dull and dreary for the remainder of the month, typicalNovember weather, with what the Trevors called a “pea-soup”atmosphere, deepening now and then into a regular fog The Squaregardens were soaking with moisture, the surrounding houses lookedgreyer and gloomier than ever, until it seemed impossible to believe thatthe sky had ever been blue, or that gay-coloured spring flowers hadflourished in those black-looking beds

Jack and Jill had the bad taste to approve of fogs They were “ripping,”they declared “So adventurous and jolly! Yesterday, when I was walking

to school, a hansom drove on the pavement beside me Think of that!”cried Jill in a tone of triumph “The horse’s nose nearly touched my

shoulder, and an old lady near me shrieked like anything It was sport!”

Jack was rather envious of the hansom episode, but had had his ownshare of amusement “I followed Johnston all the way home, and chaffedhim with a pebble in my mouth to disguise my voice He was nearly madwith rage, and whenever he turned round I simply bent double, and hewent for another fellow, and there was no end of a game.”

“But how did it happen that you could see him when he couldn’t see

you?” queried Jill, when Jack was forced to admit that he had made

mistakes more than once; but it only added to the sport to see theconsternation of innocent pedestrians when an accusing voice suddenlyhissed in their ears, “Who sneaked the indiarubber from Smith’s desk?”

The twins were happily constituted to enjoy all things, and from theirconversation it would have appeared that to be hopelessly lost in a fogwould be the climax of earthly joy; but Betty hated the gloom of the longdays, when the gas burned steadily from breakfast to bedtime, and wasnervous about trusting herself alone in the streets In her leisuremoments she devoted herself to the preparation of Christmas presents,and turned over the contents of her scrap-drawers, debating how to make

a dozen handsome articles with the least possible expenditure It is to be

feared that Betty’s gifts were arranged more to suit her own conveniencethan the tastes of the recipients “This will make a book-cover for Jill Idon’t suppose she’ll ever use it, but it’s not big enough for anything else,

so she’ll just have to like it!” This was the spirit in which she assorted hermaterials, and set to work thereon Not the ideal attitude by any means,but one must make allowances for a girl with a small allowance and alarge family connection, and must also enter it to the credit of thisparticular damsel that she grudged no work which could beautify thesimple background Poor Betty! For two whole gloomy afternoons did shework at a spray of roses on a linen work-bag, and on the third day afeeble gleam of sunlight showed itself, and lo, the roses were a harlequinstudy in pinks and orange!

“Is it at all trying? Is it enough to make you pitch the whole thing into thefire?” she demanded dramatically of the chairs and tables, as the horriblediscovery burst upon her, and she proceeded to snap at the silk with hersharp little scissors, and viciously tear away the stitches “Shan’t bother

to fill them in any more! They’ll just have to do in outline, and if shedoesn’t like it she can do the other thing!” she grunted under her breath;but that was only the impulse of the moment, and when it came to actioneach stitch was put in as carefully as before

“What are you sewing away at those old things for?” Jill demanded,coming into the room and seating herself easily on the edge of the table

“It’s much easier to buy match-boxes and needle-books You can getbeauties for sixpence three-farthings at the Christmas bazaars, and itsaves no end of fag You can give me safety-pins if you like, for myclothes are all coming to pieces, and my pins disappear like smoke Maryeats them, I believe! What are you going to give mother?”

“Can’t think! She wants a palm for the drawing-room, but a nice one costshalf a guinea, and I couldn’t possibly scrape together more than threeand six.”

Jill pondered, swinging her feet to and fro “Five more Saturdays atfourpence each,—one and eight-pence, and I’ve got about two shillings inhand No! I couldn’t possibly offer to join I wish we could have managed

it, for the drawing-room doesn’t look half furnished, and a big palm wouldhave made a fine effect, but we can’t, so there’s an end of that!”

A gasp of suppressed nervousness sounded from the end of the room,and Pam’s voice said with the usual funny little squeak, “I’ve got sixpencewith a hole in it I’ll join, Betty! Do get mother a palm! She wants it sobadly We saw one in a shop window yesterday, and she said it was justthe thing for our room!”

“Sorry, Pam, but it can’t be done They are a frightful price in the shops,and even old ‘All a-growing all a-blowing’ has none under seven and six.Perhaps when her birthday comes round we can manage it, but atChristmas there are so many presents to buy that one can’t afford bigthings.”

“I want to get it now,” squeaked Pam obstinately, while Jill jumped downfrom the table and turned to the door

“I’m going out! Can’t afford to waste holiday afternoons Why don’t youput away that stupid work and come too?”

“Thanks! I prefer the fire I can’t understand you, Jill, going in for anexam, and wasting every spare moment you get! When I went in, Istewed every Saturday afternoon the whole term, and never dreamed ofgoing out.”

“Yes, and got plucked for your pains!” retorted Jill brutally Poor Betty!She had passed so well in everything but that fatal arithmetic, whichmade all the difference between success and failure The figures wouldnot add up, the lines danced before her eyes, she could not rememberthe simplest table It was cruel to rake up that old sore She pressed herlips together and sat in offended dignity, while Jill skipped to the door,tossing her pretty pert head

“I shall take care of my health and my nerves, and not have thembreaking down just when I need them most If the worst comes to theworst, I shall be no worse off than you were yourself, and I shall have had

my fun!”

She ran downstairs into the hall, where Jack was awaiting her with abrown-paper parcel tucked under his arm, and together they crossed theroad to the nearest gate, and let themselves into the garden with a heavykey

“The other corner is the best,” Jack cried, leading the way forward at aneager pace, “more traffic, and thicker bushes I spotted the exact placeyesterday Have you got the reel in your pocket all right?”

“Yes, yes! And you must give me my turn, Jack It’s only fair, because youwouldn’t let me have a parcel of my own on the other side.”

“Of course not! You wouldn’t expect to find two lost parcels within a fewyards of each other, would you? You want to give the whole show away!”cried Jack in indignant schoolboy fashion “Now don’t talk so much, butcreep between these bushes when nobody is passing There’s room for

us both, and I can get a pull at the string between these branches We’llhave a rehearsal now, and see how it works.” He crawled forward on thedank earth, in easy unconcern for the knees of his trousers, dropped thedaintily-wrapped parcel on to the centre of the pavement, and crept back

to his place, holding in his hand the end of a long black thread

They crouched together behind the bushes, as mischievous a Jack andJill as have been known since the world began, giggling with anticipatedglee, nudging each other violently at the sound of approaching footsteps,and peering eagerly through their loopholes to see what manner of preywas about to fall into their hands

First, a fine lady walking gingerly along, both hands occupied in keepingher skirt from contact with the greasy pavement She looked at the parcelwith blank indifference, and passed quietly on her way The twins gaspedwith stupefaction Could such things be? Was it possible that a humancreature could be so surfeited with the good things of this world, that shecould behold an unopened parcel lying on the ground, and feel no

a flick to the string, to which the parcel responded by jumping an inch ortwo farther along the pavement The brown-coated man straightenedhimself, gave a funny little grunt, half amused, half-angry, and strode onhis way He had been a boy himself!

The next victim was an old woman carrying a pile of parcels, andbreathing heavily from fatigue, but although over-laden, she wasevidently nothing loath to add to her burden The twins could hear hersurprised exclamation, and see the hitch of the shoulders with which shefreed her right arm for the attack Down she bent, panting louder thanbefore, until, even as her envious fingers approached the prize, it leaptinto the air, and as by some magic process disappeared from sight Jackwas bursting with pride at his own adroitness, and Jill nudged inenthusiastic approval This came of fishing by the river-banks in the lastsummer holidays, and gaining dexterity in the art of casting lines! It waswonderful how useful such accomplishments were at times Thebewildered face of the disappointed treasure-seeker was almost toomuch for the conspirators, and had she not been too much engrossed inher own thoughts she must certainly have heard the splutterings whichnot even the handkerchief stuffed between Jill’s lips could entirely drown.With a sigh she went on her way, wondering if eyesight were about to fail,

as the culmination of her troubles

After this came an errand-boy, whistling as he walked He made apounce at the parcel, and when it disappeared had no difficulty in

“Ho, you would, would you?” he cried, and picking up a handful of stones,sent them flying in among the bushes with such force that the twinscongratulated themselves on escaping without injury

They learnt a lesson from this experience, and henceforth made a rule ofallowing all boys to pass by when they practised this particular pastime

By this time Jill was shivering in her shabby coat, and beginning to castlonging glances across the Square to the lighted schoolroom window.Anticipations of tea and hot buttered toast—the Saturday afternoon treat

of years’ standing—made her present position seem unattractive, andshe proposed an immediate adjournment home

Jack, however, was not yet satisfied with his achievements

“We haven’t had what I call a real proper rise out of anyone yet Justonce more, and then we’ll run for it,” he protested, and Jill shivered, andyielded to his superior will

She had not long to wait In less than five minutes a slow, measuredtread was heard in the distance, and presently an elderly gentleman hove

in sight, portly, well-dressed, and walking with a certain stiffness anddeliberation which would have secured for him the sympatheticconsideration of people of his own age Jack and Jill, however, had nothought for such uninteresting subjects as rheumatism; they nudged eachother delightedly, and waited in breathless silence to see what wouldhappen next

Tramp, tramp, tramp came the slow approach, and then a sudden halt—the halt they knew so well—followed by something like a stifled groan asthe victim stiffly bent forward to examine the treasure-trove His glovedhand had nearly closed on the parcel when Jack adroitly flicked it a fewinches away He bent still farther, with another gasping effort, and then,even as the parcel again moved onward, there came a loud, startled cry,and the horrified twins beheld their victim fall forward on his face, and liehelpless on the ground

What came of the Trick.

A moment Jack and Jill stared at each other in horrified silence, then thesame words burst from both lips—

“We must help him! We must see if he is hurt!” Out from behind thebushes they flew, raced for the nearest gate, and ran panting to thescene of the accident

The rays from the lamp near at hand lighted up the pavement, andshowed the old gentleman already dragging himself to his feet, assisted

by a lady whom Jill recognised in the flash of an eye as the admired occupant of Number 17 There she stood in her smart fur coat, alittle red velvet toque perched on her dark locks, supporting the oldgentleman by the arm, and so evidently overpowered by his weight thatshe was overjoyed to welcome further assistance

much-No words were spoken, but quick as light Jack darted forward and pulledwith all his force, while Jill placed both hands against the blue broadclothback and vigorously pushed forward As a result of these united efforts,the old gentleman was hoisted to an upright position, with a celerity whichappeared to startle him almost as much as the preceding fall He leantagainst the railings, puffed and panted, groaned and grumbled, while theonlookers listened with sympathy and self-reproach

“Injured for life—strained in every muscle—nervous shock—police—disgraceful—much obliged—advice at once—no time for delay.” Thedifferent phrases detached themselves from attacks of groanings andsighings, and, hearing the last words, Jack was blessed with a brilliantinspiration

“There’s a doctor at the corner, sir Would you like me to help you to thehouse?” he said in his politest manner

It seemed as if, after all, good might arise out of evil if the accident werethe means of providing his father with a new patient There was not muchwrong with the old fellow—anyone could see that—but he was fidgety

to confess his own responsibility in the accident He would feel a sneak if

he did not, but the present was the time for action, not confession

“Doctor at the corner, eh? Well, well, get me to him as quickly aspossible Shattered! Quite shattered! Must have a rest, and drive home!Bad day’s work! Never the same again!”

The old gentleman laid his hand on Jack’s shoulder and hobbled stifflyaway, pausing just one moment to lift his hat and say courteously—

“My best thanks to you, madam, for your assistance.” Jill and the prettylady were left standing in the middle of the pavement, staring curiouslyinto each other’s faces

The pretty lady was dark, and quite young, astonishingly young, like a biggirl dressed in important clothes Her eyes were very bright and happy-looking, and her lips looked as though they were made for laughter Jill’spert little face was left fully exposed by the cloth cap which was perched

at the top of her curly locks; her expression was divided between triumphand consternation

“Do you think he is hurt, really hurt?” she asked eagerly “He made agreat fuss, but men generally do, and he walks nearly as well as before

He can’t have broken anything, can he?”

“Oh no!” cried the pretty lady “I think you can be quite sure of that, but atsuch an age any shock of this kind may be serious He is a very heavyold man.”

She paused, looking at the girl with an inquiring expression, as if waitingfor something which had not yet been said, and to her own astonishmentJill found herself answering the unspoken question

“It was our fault that he fell at all We did it We were in the Square hidingbehind the bushes, and we had a parcel just the right size to holdsomething nice and pretty—it was cotton-wool really!—very neatly tied

up We dropped it out through the railings and waited till people camealong, and then we twitched it away by the end of a long black thread.”

at the last word she frowned and shook her head Jill expected avigorous remonstrance, but the words, when they came, were not in theleast what she had expected

“Thread!” echoed the pretty lady shrilly “But how stupid! Elastic is farbetter It jerks ever so much bet—” She stopped suddenly with a gasp ofrecollection, and continued in a stiff, mincing voice, “It is very unwise toplay practical jokes One can never tell what the consequence may be.”

And,”—eyes and teeth flashed in an irresistible smile,—“try the elastic!”

Jill’s merry trill rang out again, and the pretty lady looked at her withsmiling approval The girl’s natural attractiveness was as conspicuous asever, despite the disadvantageous circumstances, and it would havebeen a cold heart that did not warm towards her, as she stood with handsthrust deep into her pockets, fresh, wholesome, and bonnie, like a bit ofsummer in the midst of the grey London gloom

The pretty lady had heard high praise of the skill of the new doctor who

had come to live in the Square, and also of the personal character ofhimself and his wife, but at this moment it is to be feared that she felt littleinterested in them as individuals, but regarded them solely as the parents

of their daughter

“It is getting rather dusk for you to be out alone I will walk with you to thecorner You are one of the doctor’s daughters, aren’t you? I have watchedyou and your sisters from my windows, and envied you for beingtogether I do so miss my own sisters I have five—think of that!—andonly one married besides myself You can think what a lively time of it weused to have!”

But Jill was too busy thinking of something else to have any thought tospare for the lively times of the past

“Are you married?” she inquired breathlessly “Truly and really? You lookmuch too young We thought you were engaged, and had an invalidmother in the house I suppose he is the husband?”

“Yes, he is the husband, sure enough, and we keep no invalids norskeletons of any sort in the cupboards, only such a lot of big, emptyrooms, waiting for girls to fill them I do love girls I can’t be happy withoutgirls We have been away constantly the last few months, but now that

we are settled at home I must call on your mother, and ask if she willspare you to come and have tea with me sometimes Would you like tocome?”

“Rather!” replied Jill in expressive, schoolgirl fashion, and the pretty ladylaughed again

“That’s all right! We must arrange a day quite soon, and I must askCynthia Alliot to meet you She is a lonely little soul who needs livening.There now, here we are at your door, and I am sure you are longing tosee how the old gentleman is getting on Good-bye! We shall meet soonagain.”

She waved her hand, and hurried homewards, the red toque gleamingout brightly as she passed under the lamp-post, and Jill gazed after herwith adoring eyes Young girls often cherish a romantic affection forwomen older than themselves, and where could there be a more fitting

object on which to lavish one’s devotion—so young, so pretty, so friendly,so—so understanding! She had not preached a bit, only just thought itwould be better to leave old people alone; and then that suggestion ofelastic! In itself it was sufficient to establish her as a miracle of goodsense and ingenuity!

Chapter Seven.

What the Victim said.

Jill entered the house to hear from the servant that the doctor had not yetreturned from his rounds, that Mrs Trevor was also out, and that MissBetty and Master Jack were looking after the old gentleman in the dining-room

Listening outside the door, she caught a sound of puffing and groaning,and, unable to resist the promptings of anxiety and curiosity, turned thehandle and entered the room

The victim was seated in the doctor’s big leather arm-chair, looking veryperturbed and sorry for himself, while Jack and Betty hovered near,alternately offering suggestions for his relief

to take any notice of the separate suggestions, but now their reiterationhad an irritating effect, for with startling unexpectedness he thrust forwardhis big, flushed face, and shouted a loud refusal.

“No, no, no, no! Do you want to kill me at once? I only want rest and achance to get my breath again Tea? Wine? Faugh! I hope I know betterthan that after the agonies I have had to go through Sal-volatile! Do youtake me for an hysterical old woman? Feet up? Ay, young sir, I expect Ishall have a longer dose of that position than I care for after thisadventure! As if I had not had enough of it already—five weeks on mychair in the summer, three in the spring, two months last winter.”

From his own account he was evidently a great sufferer, yet inappearance he was stout and healthy enough Jack made a swiftdiagnosis, and said politely—

“Gout, I suppose, sir? Gout in your feet?”

“And what makes you suppose anything of the kind, sir? I don’t carry alabel to advertise my ailments that I am aware of!” cried the oldgentleman, with an irascibility which convinced his audience that he was

on the point of another attack Then suddenly he looked past his twoquestioners, saw Jill’s peering face, and went off at another tangent

“Oh ho! What’s this? I saw you outside in the street What are you doinghere, may I ask? Come in for a treat to see the rest of the show?”

“It’s my house! I live here!” replied Jill grandiloquently “I am sorry you arenot well Would you like us to whistle for a cab to take you home? It’salways nicest to be at home when one is ill.”

It was all very well for Jack to frown dissent Jill was inclined to think thatthe truest wisdom lay in getting the old gentleman out of the way beforeher father’s return, and so escape with one scolding instead of two Sheraised her eyebrows, and mouthed the dumb question, “Will you tell?”while the victim continued his groans and lamentations

“Great mistake ever to leave home in these days Can’t think what I amcoming to next I merely stooped down to pick up a parcel—simplestthing in the world; done it a score of times before—and over I went full on

to everything else Just my luck! A wreck, sir—a wreck! And I used to bethe strongest man in the regiment Ah, well, well, that’s all over! I must becontent to be on the shelf now.”

Betty turned towards the twins with a scrutinising gaze, but they had noeyes for her A note of real pathos had sounded in the victim’s voice as

he bemoaned his lost strength, and their hearts melted before it Jackstepped boldly forward to make his confession

“It was not paralysis, sir It was—the parcel! We’re sorry,—I’m sorry, but itwas only a joke, and we never thought you would fall No one else fell

“It was your doing, was it? You pulled away the parcel, did you? I ‘toppledover,’ did I?” he repeated with awful deliberation That was the lull beforethe storm, and then it broke in all its fury, and roared over their heads, sothat they gasped and trembled before it

The victim went back to his earliest childhood, and thanked Providencethat he at least had known how to behave himself, and desist from silly,idiotic, ridiculous, tom-fool tricks, which would disgrace a monkey on anorgan He projected himself into the future, and prophesied ruin anddestruction for a race which produced popinjays and clowns Heannounced his intention of dying that very night, so that the crime whichhis hearers had committed might be duly avenged, and in the samebreath would have them to know that he was not the sort of man to beaffected by the tricks of unmannerly cubs, and that General TerenceDigby was match for a hundred such as they, gout or no gout Gout,indeed! Toppled, forsooth! The world was coming to a pretty pass! Was itpart of the plot, might he ask, to cajole him into the house and poison himwith their sal-volatile tea? This was a case for the police!

Betty gave a little shriek of dismay, but the twins exchanged glances ofsubdued admiration They liked to hear a thing done really well, and theGeneral’s denunciation was a triumph of its kind But when asked if hewere not thoroughly ashamed of himself, Jack showed the courage of hisopinion.

“Sorry!” he declared “I said so before, sir, but not ashamed We wouldn’thave been bribed to hurt you, and I’ll apologise as much as you like, but

we were doing nothing wrong It was only a joke.”

“Joke!” screamed the old gentleman “Joke!” He rolled his protrudingeyes towards the ceiling, and gasped and spluttered in disgust “Is thatwhat you call a joke? I don’t know what this country is coming to! Haveyou nothing better to do with your time, young sir, than to prowl about thestreets playing monkey tricks on innocent passers-by? I am sorry for you

if that is your best idea of enjoyment.”

“Boys will be boys!” said Jack, in his quaint, sententious fashion “We canonly be young once, sir, so we might as well make the most of it while wecan.”

“Besides, we weren’t prowling about in the street!” cried Jill, suddenlybursting into the conversation, her determination to keep silent meltingaway before what she was pleased to consider a slight on her dignity

“Mother wouldn’t allow such a thing The Square is private property Wehave a key, and she knows we are perfectly safe when we are there.”

“But, by Jove, other people are not! You manage to get into mischiefthough you are railed up!” cried the victim, and a sort of spasm passedover his face, as of a smile violently suppressed He glared at Jill, fromher to Betty, from Betty to Jack, and then let his glance wander round theroom—the big, handsome apartment so sparsely filled with the furniture

of a smaller house The sideboard looked poor and insignificant in therecess designed for one twice the size; the few pictures entirely failed tohide the marks of the places where the last tenant had hung his moregenerous supply The carpet covered only two-thirds of the floor, and waseked out by linoleum To the most unobservant eye it must have beenevident that the owner of this house was a man whose means were solimited that the strictest economy was necessary in the management of

Jill gave a squeal of dismay Betty set her lips tight, and tried to lookcomposed and haughty, but she felt a trifle sick She could hardly bringherself to believe that such a proceeding would be legally possible, yetthe old gentleman had distinctly said that such a law existed, and Jackappeared to know something about it Beneath his air of bravado shecould see that the boy shared in her own nervousness, and a wild idea offlinging herself at the stranger’s feet and imploring his clemency wasbeginning to take shape in her brain, when a sound from withoutattracted the attention of all.

It was the click of the doctor’s key in the latch, and a moment later heentered the hall, and paused, as his custom was, to read the messageswhich had been pencilled for him on a slate Then came the rustle ofMary’s skirt, a few low-toned words, and the sound of quick stepsapproaching the dining-room door It was a thrilling moment!